Peacocks secretary stunned after receiving £56,000 company card bill

A secretary got a nasty surprise when she returned from holiday to find her company’s £56,000 credit card bill on her doormat.

Shocked: Peacocks secretary Linda Villis (Picture: WNS)

Linda Villis was in charge of booking travel and hotels for bosses at discount fashion store Peacocks.

The company went into administration this year with debts of more than £700million and because the 53-year-old’s name was on the American Express card, she has been found liable for the arrears.

She said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I opened the letter – I nearly fainted with shock. It’s like everyone has left me to deal with it. I don’t know where to turn.’

The mother of two, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, who earns £13,000 a year, was kept on by new owners, Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

A spokesman for the administrators who were called in when Peacocks went under said: ‘Whilst we sympathise with Ms Villis’s personal position, we are bound by the law relating to how we are obliged to deal with the claims of unsecured creditors.’American Express was unavailable for comment.